Absolute Necessities
by Bevin
Summary: Sanji's short on cash but wants to get Nami something. Short friendship story with one sided romance and not much plot. Rated for a bit of language and some mature suggestion. It's Sanji, come on.


Absolute Necessities

There was something to be said for the mood lightening properties of stretching your legs on dry land now and then. The weather was nice and they'd had the fortune to land at a spring climate island, so the air was fresh and slightly crisp and the marketplace of the tiny port town they'd docked at was teeming with fresh produce and cut flowers. Of course, the fact that there were pretty girls out cooing over the flowers certainly helped Sanji to momentarily forget his bad mood; it was simply impossible to be angry when there were lovely young ladies laughing and smiling all around him.

Returning to his current chore dulled his good mood again and the coin purse in his pocket felt far too light for the price tags adorning the produce stands. Normally he wouldn't have set a price on good quality food, but due to his captain's overactive metabolism, they needed more food than he'd budgeted for the day before. And while it was better to have spotty potatoes than no potatoes at all, the thought of Nami-san and Robin-chan being forced to eat such sub-standard food curdled his blood.

And to think, he'd saved up for a lock to the refrigerator before this had happened, too. Sometimes he wished irony was a fat, ugly man so he could kick its ass.

He was right in the middle of triple-checking his budget for an extra beli or two he may have missed before when a familiar head of orange hair flitted by the corner of his eye. Turning just in time to see Nami disappear into a clothing shop a little ways down the block, he briefly toyed with the idea of forgoing the depressing task of food shopping and instead offering himself as her bag lackey for the afternoon. But alas, they didn't know when they would come across the next island and their reserves were dangerously low-- if he didn't buy food now they might not make it to the next stop. That thought was enough to ground even his most delirious fantasy of helping her shop for swim suits and with a sigh he turned back to his laborious task.

"Bouquet for the lady?"

It took him a moment to locate the source of the inquiry-- a pleasant, middle aged woman sitting in one of the flower booths, smiling pleasantly at him from her seat amongst a veritable jungle of various blooms.

"Excuse me?" He moved his way a bit closer to where she sat smiling plumply at him.

"The young lady that just went in there," she indicated the door Nami had gone through just a minute before. "You looked like you knew her. Or at least wanted to." She winked at him, conspiratorially. If she noticed the melding looks of disbelief, astonishment, and disquiet that he knew must have adorned his face like a parade, she gave no sign. She must have been used to doing that sort of thing, a notion that didn't make the conversation any less strange. "And what girl could resist a dozen red roses, hmm?"

Ah. There it was, the hard sell.

"Sorry," he said, slipping into a more comfortable smile now that they were back on familiar terrain, "only have enough for groceries today." Tempting though it was to spend the money for a bouquet, one impressive enough to light up the face of his goddess-in-the-flesh, food came first. Besides, it would be ungentlemanly of him to splurge on Nami and not do the same for Robin and he knew there was no way he could afford both. It was a shame, though, the flowers were superb and it was such a nice spring day... and it had seemed like he'd seen more of Nami-san's oh-so-cute angry side than her lovely smiling side the past week or so. Maybe he could just give Luffy some cheap animal feed until the next island and endure the endless whining that always accompanied a change from the standard all-meat diet-- or maybe not.

During his pondering he'd pulled a cigarette from his jacket and had it halfway to his mouth when a movement to his left distracted him momentarily. Off to the side, hidden toward the back of the counter were some small buckets filled with ribbons in varying shades, what looked like some decorative sprigs of ivy and baby's breath, colored paper for wrapping the flowers in and a small assortment of brightly colored pinwheels. And there, spinning merrily in the small breeze, was one that almost perfectly matched Nami's hair.

"How much for one of those?" he somehow managed to ask without tearing his eyes from the bright orange toy, hand still frozen halfway to his face.

"Which?" The lady peered over bunches of flowers to see what he'd been so captivated by. "The pinwheels? Oh, those are five beli apiece." She sat back down, interest in where this transaction was headed rapidly waning.

Sanji didn't even notice, being far too involved in doing mental calculations and revising recipes, trimming any viable edges still left to him. What he was coming up with wouldn't even come close to five beli. Shit, he thought, absently bringing the cigarette the rest of the way to his mouth and fishing in his inside jacket pocket for his matches. He couldn't think of a single other thing he could trim from his budget without running a serious risk of running out of food before their next stop. Frustrated, he picked a matchstick from its container, struck it automatically, watched as it blazed to life in his fingers and then froze as the answer stared him right in the face. It would be a heavy sacrifice and frankly he wasn't sure that he actually wanted to do it; it could be a long time before they reached a place where he could buy any again, and the thought of being without any for that long made him shudder. But then, on the other hand...

By the time he'd reached his decision the match had burned down to his fingers and he tossed it into the dirt, wincing a bit. He then very deliberately took the unlit cigarette from his mouth and put it carefully back in his pocket with the others. Six left there and another twelve on the ship. Normally about two days' worth and if he did this, he'd have to stretch them for weeks, possibly. But the money he'd save would be just enough.

Swallowing heavily, he took a deep breath and told the lady he'd take it. Having watched the preceding mental conflict with a mild interest, she asked him if he was sure. Not being sure at all, he said yes in a tone begging her to hurry before he changed his mind. Money was set on the counter and the pinwheel was set in his hands, spinning merrily in the afternoon breeze. He really hoped he hadn't just made a big mistake-- he'd never gone more than a few hours without a cigarette before and if they got sidetracked (a very real possibility) or ran into some other setback he could be without them for... days. Or longer. That thought made his palms sweat, but looking at the toy again he marveled at just how perfectly it fit her and knew he would have regretted not getting it.

It was another half hour or so before Nami emerged from the shop, one small shopping bag in hand to show for it and if one listened closely, the sounds of the shopkeeper quietly weeping could be heard before the door closed behind her. Heaving a self-satisfied sigh, she swung her purchase happily as she started down the street toward her next victim-- er, the next shop. Having stayed in the area to keep an eye out for her, Sanji quickly concluded his business with the booth he was at and wove his way through the crowd towards her, waving an arm up over his head.

"Nami-saaaaaan!" He saw her pause and look around, so he yelled her name again and kept himself from shoving past the rest of the people in his way. She spotted him and veered out of the crowd to wait for him in a calm spot by a shop entrance. He caught up to her a minute later and made a quick check in the various bags he had to make sure nothing had been squished or damaged.

"Sanji-kun, look at this cute little swim suit I found!" Nami beamed and held up her prize for him to see. 'Cute' wasn't the word he'd have chosen to describe it, although a few other less gentlemanly words did pop in there to take its place; he had to bite his tongue to keep it from rolling out of his mouth at the thought of her wearing those tiny pieces of fabric. "They wanted an extortionist's price for it, but I wheedled them down to a third of it," she continued, grinning triumphantly as she put the suit back in the bag.

"That's my Nami-san!" Sanji all but gushed as he returned her grin, still picturing her sunbathing on the deck of the ship in that skimpy number. Was it getting hot out there? The mild spring climate seemed to have slipped into summer in a matter of seconds and he tugged at his shirt collar.

"So, are you ready to head back?" Nami's inquiry broke his train of thought and he scrambled for a second to catch up with her as she disappeared back into the crowd. "We really should get going, we don't want to miss the tide."

"Ah, yes, I just have one more thing to pick up before we go and it's this way anyway." He fell in step beside her, rummaging around in what he hoped was a casual manner. "But first, I got you something." Ah, there it was.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow at him but otherwise didn't seem particularly surprised.

"Ta-daa!" He presented the pinwheel to her with a flourish and a deep bow, hoping if he acted like it was two dozen roses she might think a little more of it. He felt the thin wooden stem be pulled from his fingers and waited for the small statement of gratitude and cheery smile that always accompanied such gestures. When one wasn't forthcoming, he opened his eyes and found her standing stark still holding the orange painted toy with a muddied mix of emotions sitting on her face. Fear froze his body; he hadn't expected much of a thank you for it, but this was positively guilt-inducing. She simply stared at the object in her hand as though it might bite her. And then, in a prime example of cosmic timing, a small gust of a breeze blew past, sending the flower-like plaything spinning merrily, oblivious to the awkward moment it was right in the middle of.

_Shit!_ Of course she hated it! How could she not? She was a woman who not only deserved the finest things in life, she expected them, and he'd bought her a silly toy and expected her to like it? What had he been thinking? Idiot idiot idiot!

He was aware on some level that he'd started running towards the booth he'd bought the unfortunate gift from, that the marketplace was blurring past him even as his inner diatribe raged, but his every conscious thought was occupied with determining how many corners he'd have to cut to afford a bouquet. He could buy meat that wasn't quite as fresh, maybe cure it in something to stretch its useable time, cut out the midday snacks, half the number of desserts, cut Luffy's portions, skip a few meals himself--

There it was! That same booth, he was certain. But the old lady was nowhere to be seen! Where was she? Who left their booth unguarded right in the middle of the day?

"Hello?" He peered over the side of the counter, searching for any sign of her and finding nothing. "Old lady, where are you? I need some flowers!" He spied the small service bell on the counter and the ensuing cacophony grabbed the attention of the nearby vendors and some of the passerbys, all turning to see what all the fuss was about. "Old lady!" Where was she?

"_Sanji-kun!_" That wasn't the old lady's voice, that sounded like...

He whipped around to find Nami behind him, flushed with the effort of running after him, the still spinning pinwheel clutched in her hand.

"Don't worry, Nami-san, I'll get you some real flowers this time, not a cheap trinket." He went back to banging on the little bell, hoping the old lady would get off her keister and come tend to her booth already. Now the other pinwheels set back with the flowers had begun spinning as well, just to torture him, he was sure. Where was that old bat? "Oiiiiiiiiii!"

Suddenly, the bell stopped, his hand stinging, and Nami was in his face, glaring at him, telling him she didn't want any stupid flowers and that he needed to calm down before he drew any unwanted attention their way.

"But Nami-san, I can't stand knowing I got you something so trite, I have to make it up to you."

Her expression darkened. "I like it." One hand tightened possessively around the stem of the toy she held, while the other slid away from where she'd slammed it down on his own to stop him from ringing the bell.

"You do?" he asked, half suspecting that she was just saying so for his benefit-- but then he'd never known her to say she liked something when she didn't and he saw little reason for her to start now.

She heaved a sigh and ran a hand through her hair, glancing at the people around them, none of whom seemed to have the slightest interest in them anymore. "Yes, I do. Now let's get back to the ship, okay?"

He reluctantly allowed himself to be led away from the booth, still feeling ashamed and embarrassed, wishing there was something he could do to make it up to her, but thanks to his brilliant gift idea he didn't even have enough money left for the ingredients for a special drink. How much lower could a man sink than by not being able to make the woman he worshiped so much as smile? He wanted a cigarette and couldn't even have that. This was already a long trip and they hadn't even set sail yet.

"Is your hand all right?" She didn't seem overtly concerned, or anything, but she'd asked, which was reason enough to assume she was on some level.

Confused, he held up the appendage in question. "It's fine, there's nothing to be sorry for." Was that why she thought he was upset? Sure, he prized his hands but he could certainly take more punishment than that. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"You _were_ acting like an idiot," she agreed, sagely.

He grimaced.

"But I do really like my present," she finished. "Thank you." There was that smile and it was all for him. He felt drunk. The sun's warmth paled in comparison to that radiant smile, the distant sounds of birdsong were like the croaking of frogs next to her laughter, the afternoon sea in the sunlight was no match for the sparkle in those brown eyes, even the flowers they passed may well have been hairy spiders compared to her beauty--

"Sanji-kun!"

"Eh?" The slightly hazy vision in front of him abruptly snapped back into focus and he slowly became aware that he'd been staring at her as his mind had meandered off. "Oh. You're welcome." Turning the enormous grin he'd been wearing into a more low-key but infinitely more dashing smile, he felt back on track. Hell, he felt like he could take on the world. Food limitations, budget restrictions and cigarette shortage be damned, the memory of that smile would get him through anything.

"Oh it's such a nice day, I can't wait to try out my new bikini."

"I'd be more than happy to rub suntan lotion--"

"Don't push your luck."

"Okay."  
Unnoticed by either of them, the owner of the flower stand sat in a booth a few feet back from her own, sharing some afternoon tea with its owner. Both ladies had watched the minor drama unfold with the same level of interest that they might have discussed the weather any other day.

"Well that was anticlimactic," the first said as she walked the young couple walk away.

"Yes, these youngsters today just don't know how to fight anymore," the other sighed in disappointment.  
"Honestly, that girl. She should have made him work harder than that, he'll just take her for granted now."

"Well you know, girls today are a lot easier than they were in our day, dear. And did you see her skirt? Giving it away for free, that one." She tsked into her cup.

"Shameful."

"Nice day, though."

"Yes, it is."

The two sat in companionable silence, enjoying the breeze that sent the small collection of pinwheels behind them spinning and clacking, sounding somewhat like laughter.

**Author's Note: This is the first thing I've written in a long time, so bear with me if parts seemed too wordy or it flowed oddly. I'm not entirely sure what posessed me to write this, I suppose my love for these two characters who don't seem to get much one-on-one interaction, and the fact that Nami's pinwheels tend to get overlooked in favor of her tangerines so much. Nobody ever writes about the pinwheels. Plus I wanted to write a story where the mysterious old woman someone chances to meet is dead wrong about just about all of her observances of our heroes instead of being mysteriously insightful, like they usually are. Not much of a point to the story, really, and it's really just a friendship vignette, although if you want to see more to it than that you're certainly welcome to.**


End file.
